Disney Cruise Line is one of the more expensive cruise options, but the line offers a really authentic Disney experience, so a lot of people love to set sail on their ships. But how much do you know about the ships in the Disney Cruise Line fleet?
Did you know that the latest ship was just launched in mid-2022? Or that the ships normally come in pairs, but the latest class is breaking that tradition? And do you know what features each ship has?
By the end of this article, you’ll be an expert on the Disney Cruise Line fleet.
Names of Disney Cruise Ships
There are currently five Disney Cruise Line ships in the fleet, with another two already announced and due to launch in 2024 and 2025 respectively.
The Disney ship’s names are:
- Disney Magic
- Disney Wonder
- Disney Dream
- Disney Fantasy
- Disney Wish
The two ships that have been announced for 2024 and 2025 have yet to be named.
Disney Cruise Ships By Age
Here’s a list of the Disney Cruise Line ships in the fleet, ordered by age from newest to oldest:
| Ship name | Class | Entered Service | Last Refurbished |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disney Wish | Triton | July 2022 | N/A |
| Disney Fantasy | Dream | March 2012 | 2017 |
| Disney Dream | Dream | January 2011 | 2015 |
| Disney Wonder | Magic | August 1999 | 2019 |
| Disney Magic | Magic | July 1998 | 2018 |
It’s interesting to note that Disney has left around a decade between each new class of ship, and it’ll be exciting to see whether the company accelerates its orders for new ships in future, or whether some of the older ships will eventually make way for new ones.
However, even the older ships are being refurbished regularly and still offer a fantastic cruise. I cruised on Disney Magic, the oldest Disney cruise ship, and had a fantastic time, as I did when I cruises on the newest Disney ship, the Disney Wish.
You can read my Disney ship reviews here:
Which Disney cruise ship is the newest?
The newest Disney cruise ship is the Disney Wish, launched in July 2022. She is the first of the new Triton class of ships, with two sister ships planned to launch in 2024 and 2025. She was christened on June 29th, 2022 before a maiden voyage to Castaway Cay.
One thing that makes Disney Wish unique is that, rather than a Godmother, she instead has Godchildren – officially, all of the children that are a part of the Make-a-Wish charitable foundation. They were represented by three child ambassadors at the Christening event.
Future Disney cruise ships
While Disney Wish is the first of the Triton class ships, she won’t be the last. Another two Triton ships have been ordered by the cruise line, with delivery expected in July 2024 and August 2025.
No details have been revealed about the names of the ships, or the characters featured on the bow and aft, but we should know more well in advance of the first one launching.
What is the oldest Disney cruise ship?
The oldest ship in the Disney Cruise Line fleet is the Disney Magic. She first entered service for the cruise line in 1998 and has undergone multiple refurbishment dry docks since then, the most recent in 2018.
Disney Magic was the first cruise ship in the world to be built specifically for the family cruise market, rather than being primarily aimed at adults. She was also the first ship to feature the famous Mickey Horn, with the horn playing the opening seven notes of ‘When You Wish Upon a Star’.
Disney Cruise Ships By Size
OK, so we’ve covered Disney Cruise Line’s ships by age, now let’s take a look at the sizes, from largest to smallest. Unsurprisingly, the order remains the same:
| Ship name | Class | Gross Tonnage | Length (feet) | Decks | Guest Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disney Wish | Triton | 144,000 | 1,119 | 14 | 4,000 |
| Disney Fantasy | Dream | 129,960 | 1,114 | 14 | 4,000 |
| Disney Dream | Dream | 129,960 | 1,114 | 14 | 4,000 |
| Disney Wonder | Magic | 84,130 | 964 | 11 | 2,700 |
| Disney Magic | Magic | 83,969 | 964 | 11 | 2,700 |
Disney Cruise Ships Side By Side
In the image below, you can see the size of all of the different Disney cruise ships together…
Which Disney cruise ship is the biggest?
The biggest Disney cruise ship is also the newest – the Disney Wish. She was designed to be a more spacious ship, larger than Disney Fantasy and Disney Dream, but catering to a similar number of passengers so that guests benefit from that extra space.
The two other Triton class ships that are due to launch for the fleet in the next couple of years will be a similar size to the Disney Wish, and are expected to have a similar guest capacity too.
The idea is that, while the ships can be slightly bigger, 4,000 guests is the right level for now in order to provide Disney’s signature guest experiences.
Which Disney cruise ship is the smallest?
The smallest Disney cruise ship is also the oldest – the Disney Magic. She has a guest capacity that’s around half that of the newest and biggest ship, the Disney Wish. Along with Disney Wonder, she also has the fewest decks of the fleet with just 11, compared to 14 on the newer ships.
The Differences Between Disney Cruise Ships
There are three classes of ship in the Disney Cruise Line fleet – Magic, Dream and now Triton.
Previously, the ships have been launched in pairs for each class, but the Triton class breaks the mould slightly since there have been three ships announced.
Here’s how the ships compare:
Size
The Disney Wish of the Triton class is the largest of the fleet, being slightly longer and wider than the Disney Fantasy and Disney Dream, although her guest capacity is the same.
Those ships are significantly larger than the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder, which have two fewer decks, are around 150 feet shorter and can only host around two-thirds of the total guests that the larger ships can.
Facilities
Each of the Disney Cruise Line ships has unique features, including their own themed restaurants, their own shows and their own water parks.
Disney Magic and Disney Wonder are the smaller ships and so have slightly less to see and do, but you’ll still have multiple water play areas, various restaurants, exciting kids clubs and more. They also offer, on some cruises, themed days where you may enjoy a Pirates night, or hang out with Marvel superheroes.
Disney Fantasy and Disney Dream are bigger and have extra features including more places to grab a unique snack, and the AquaDuck – a water coaster that takes you around the deck.
Suggested read: Water Slides On Each Disney Cruise Ship
As the newest ship in the fleet, Disney Wish has the widest choice of facilities to enjoy. As well as the permanent Marvel features and unique Star Wars bar, she has interactive experiences with Disney Uncharted Adventure, the Imagineering Lab, more unique dining venues and the AquaMouse – considered the first true Disney attraction at sea.
Destinations
Here’s a rundown of where each ship sails throughout the year:
- Disney Magic – spends the winter season cruising the Caribbean, before crossing the Atlantic to sail itineraries around the Med and northern Europe during the summer months
- Disney Wonder – offers cruises to Mexico during winter, and then moves to Vancouver to offer sailings around Alaska in the summer
- Disney Dream – Similar to the Disney Magic, she offers Bahamas and Caribbean itineraries in the winter and then cruises around Europe and the Med in the summer
- Disney Fantasy – She stays in the Caribbean throughout the year. While other ships tend to offer 3-night and 4-night itineraries, Disney Fantasy offers longer cruises in the region, from 7 to 9 nights.
- Disney Wish – So far, the Disney Wish has been announced to only offer sailings in the Bahamas for 3-night and 4-night itineraries, although this may change next year.
In the Bahamas, the highlight of each cruise is a visit to Disney Cruise Line’s private island – Castaway Cay.
Price
It’s hard to offer a direct comparison of the prices of Disney cruise ships, as they all offer different itineraries over different lengths.
As a guide though, here’s a rough idea of the per-person cost per night on a ‘typical’ itinerary that each ship offers – although remember that this can vary depending on the dates, the stateroom and how many guests are in your party.
- Disney Magic – £150 ($180) per person, per night
- Disney Wonder – £150 ($180) per person, per night
- Disney Dream – £160 ($190) per person, per night
- Disney Fantasy – £160 ($190) per person, per night
- Disney Wish – £240 ($290) per person, per night
Learn more: How much is a Disney cruise?
Which is the best Disney cruise ship to go on?
The best Disney cruise ship that you can book is Disney Wish, but she is also the most expensive and so you need to balance that. She’s the newest ship, and she has some really exciting features to enjoy.
The other ships are also great and have plenty that’s worth exploring too, so it’s not a completely one-sided decision. But Disney is known for its innovation, and so a ship launched 10 years after the next most recent ship in the fleet is bound to have some cool new things to see and do.
Disney Cruise Ship FAQs
No Disney ship has ever sunk. One did suffer damage in 2008, when Disney Dream crashed into the pier due to not being positioned correctly to dock. The nearest Disney has come to a sunken ship is the loss of a boat on their Jungle Cruise ride at Magic Kingdom.
The newest ship in the fleet, Disney Wish, offers multiple Star Wars experiences including Cargo Bay, a fun area where kids can ‘feed’ lifelike, interactive galactic creatures and an adults-only Star Wars bar. Disney Fantasy and Disney Dream also both offer Star Wars experiences for kids since their most recent refurbishments.
The Disney Wish has a lot of Marvel features, including the Marvel Super Hero Academy, where young guests can learn how to be a superhero, and the Worlds of Marvel dining experiences including Avengers: Quantum Encounter, featuring Ant-Man and the Wasp in recorded messages.
All of the Disney cruise ships are excellent for families – they were all designed for kids and adults alike and have various exciting experiences. The Disney Wish is the best ship, since she’s the newest, but any Disney cruise ship would make for a wonderful family holiday.
The most expensive Disney cruise ship to build was the Disney Wish. She is also the most expensive for a cruise vacation as she is the newest ship and has the most experience on board. A 3-night cruise costs at least $1,500 for two guests.
